Tesla unveils new Roadster: a sports car that can fly and do flips

Tesla unveiled the new Roadster, the successor to its first car, at a flashy event held at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas. The concept for the second-generation electric sports car was first shown nine years ago.

A prototype that drives on walls and flies through the air

It quickly became clear why the event was held outdoors. A Roadster prototype climbed a giant curved structure reminiscent of a toy race track. According to Tesla, a fan system underneath the car generates 2 g of suction, gluing the vehicle to the road. The prototype then lifted off using thrusters supplied by SpaceX, said to produce more than 80 kilonewtons of thrust, performed a flip in midair and landed in a cloud of white smoke.

Elon Musk said the car "can fly like a rocket" and joked that it is not a safety-focused car. Musk said the Roadster will be a real car that can be driven on public roads, but added that he was not sure whether it would be legal in every country.

0-96 km/h in 0.81 seconds

At the event, the prototype also performed acceleration runs with the help of four rear thrusters. On the first attempt, the 0-60 mph (about 96 km/h) sprint took roughly one second; on the second, the time dropped to 0.81 seconds.

Musk gave no details on technical specifications or pricing. He said production will begin in 2028.